Recording links Saudi crown prince to Khashoggi murder’

A member of a Saudi assassination squad phoned a superior shortly after Jamal Khashoggi was murdered and told him “tell your boss” their mission had been accomplished, The New York Times reported.

Citing three people familiar with a recording of Khashoggi’s killing collected by Turkish intelligence, the newspaper said while he was not mentioned by name, US officials believe “your boss” was a reference to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

It said US intelligence officials view the recording as some of the strongest evidence yet linking bin Salman to the murder. Maher Abdulaziz Mutreb, one of 15 Saudis sent to Istanbul to target Khashoggi, made the phone call and spoke in Arabic, sources told the Times. Mutreb is a security officer who frequently travels with the crown prince.

Turkish intelligence officers told US officials they believe the call was made to one of bin Salman’s close aides. Turkish officials have said the audio recording does not conclusively implicate bin Salman, but analysts say it’s an important clue. Saudi officials denied the crown prince “had any knowledge whatsoever” of Khashoggi’s killing.